CENIC and the City and County of San Francisco Collaborate to Make San Francisco Public Library the First 10 Gigabit Library in the U.S.

San Francisco, June 26, 2015 — San Francisco Public Library (SFPL), the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), and the City and County of San Francisco announced today that they have collaborated to provide unprecedented direct connection at 10 gigabits per second access speed to CENIC’s California Research and Education Network (CalREN) and from there to the world.

This unprecedented access to the ultra-high bandwidth CENIC network will provide patrons of the San Francisco Public Library with access to the latest and best resources across a wide array of needs and opportunities in areas such as business, government, science, health care, and education – opportunities to engage, create, invent, and learn.

“They are breaking new ground here, and it’s great to see,” said John Beto, Director of University of Maryland’s Information Policy and Access Center, which conducts research on issues that govern access to digital information.

SFPL accesses city-owned fiber that is used to connect them to CalREN. SFPL has a direct 10 Gigabit connection to their main library. Seven branches now connect to the main branch at 1 Gigabit, with plans to connect all 27 branch libraries at this speed using city-owned fiber. From CalREN, San Francisco’s libraries are connected to California’s K-12 and higher education systems, to research and education networks throughout the world, and to the public Internet.

“In keeping with our mission of equality and being a 21st century library, this broadband increase allows our patrons to have the very best in access and opportunity,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera.

The Library’s new teen center, The Mix at SFPL, will greatly benefit from new broadband speed. The Mix at SFPL is dedicated to connecting young people with innovative technology tools such as 3D printers, video/audio editing software, fabrication, and other electronic tools to create their own digital or electronic art, to be involved in robotics, even to build their own drones, and to meet, socialize and collaborate with other young people who share common interests.

“The ability to access digital information is essential to every Californian and our remarkable libraries are places where access, the expertise of librarians, and a wealth of opportunities are available to all. Bandwidth should never constrain access and innovation in our libraries,“ said CENIC President & CEO, Louis Fox.

“San Francisco was among the pilot sites that preceded the Governor and Legislature’s ‘Lighting Up Libraries Initiative,’ which will bring additional broadband capacity to all of California’s public libraries. 389 libraries will connect starting in July of 2015, with a goal to connect all of California’s 1,112 public libraries in the next few years,” said Fox.

“Public libraries change lives. And the 21st Century connectivity that they are getting through connecting to CENIC’s broadband network is going to be transformative for all of California’s diverse communities. Already, 56 California library jurisdictions, including the San Francisco Public Library and the Peninsula Library Systems, have the highest level of connectivity of any libraries in the country – a number that will grow over the coming months,” said California State Librarian, Greg Lucas.

The updated broadband, including WiFi, can be experienced at San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. For more information you can reach us at www.sfpl.org or (415) 557-4400.

CENIC connects California to the world—advancing education and research statewide by providing the world-class network essential for innovation, collaboration and economic growth. This nonprofit organization operates the California Research & Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity network designed to meet the unique requirements of over 20 million users, including the vast majority of K-20 students together with educators, researchers, and other vital public-serving institutions. CENIC’s Charter Associates are part of the world’s largest education system; they include the California K-12 system, California Community Colleges, the California State University system, California’s Public Libraries, the University of California system, Stanford, Caltech, and USC. CENIC also provides connectivity to leading-edge institutions and industry research organizations around the world, serving the public as a catalyst for a vibrant California.

San Francisco Public Library and Gale to Deliver Accredited High School Diplomas to Residents Online

Career Online High School Scholarships Support Local Economic Development

SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — As thousands of librarians from across the country descend on San Francisco for the American Library Association annual meeting this weekend, the San Francisco Public Library today announced it is offering residents the opportunity to earn accredited high school diplomas and career certificates through Career Online High School, a groundbreaking program brought to public libraries by Gale. Currently, more than 30,000 San Francisco adults age 25 and over lack a high school degree or equivalent. San Francisco Public Library joins several other innovative libraries throughout California to offer the program, including Los Angeles Public Library, Sacramento Public Library and San Diego Public Library.

“Being able to offer Career Online High School helps us achieve our goal of rethinking adult literacy in the 21st century in a profound and impactful way,” said Luis Herrera, City Librarian, San Francisco Public Library. “For SFPL, the Career Online High School initiative redefines the role of the library as the place for personal growth and learning for individuals most in need.”

“Earning a high school diploma can have a life changing effect – graduates earn more, have lower unemployment rates and contribute more to their communities both economically and socially,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager, Gale. “By offering Career Online High School, San Francisco Public Library will make an immediate positive impact in the community, and will support local economic and workforce development.”

San Francisco Public Library will award scholarships for Career Online High School to qualified learners looking to earn a high school diploma and advance their careers. Once enrolled, Career Online High School pairs each student with an Academic Coach, who offers ongoing guidance and encouragement, evaluates performance, and connects the learner with the resources needed to demonstrate mastery of the course material. Classes are supported by board-certified instructors and students have 24/7 access to the online learning platform. Coursework begins in one of eight high-growth, high-demand career fields (across a wide spectrum from child care and education to certified transportation), before progressing to the core academic subjects. Many students are able to graduate in as few as 4 to 6 months by transferring in previously earned high school credits.

San Francisco Public Library will launch Career Online High School to the community in August. Interested residents can visit the library’s website here to learn more about the enrollment process.

For more information on Career Online High School, please visit http://www.careeronlinehs.gale.com/ or contact Kristina Massari at kristina.massari@cengage.com. For more information on the economic impact of high school completion and the benefits of libraries, download the whitepaper here and watch the video here.

About Career Online High SchoolCareer Online High School was developed in 2012 through a partnership by ed2go, a division of Cengage Learning that provides students with online continuing education and career training, and Smart Horizons Career Online Education, in an effort to provide affordable, career-based online education opportunities for the millions of adults in the United States without high school diplomas. In 2014, the program was adapted for the public library market by Gale, also a division of Cengage Learning. Since its launch, Career Online High School has been recognized as part of a Commitment to Action by the Clinton Global Initiative and acknowledged at the White House College Opportunity Summit.

About San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library system is dedicated to free and equal access to information, knowledge, independent learning and the joys of reading for our diverse community.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional and library markets worldwide. Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, is a global provider of research resources for libraries and businesses for more than 60 years. Gale is passionate about supporting the continued innovation and evolution of libraries by providing the content, tools, and services libraries need to promote information discovery, enable learning, and support economic, cultural, and intellectual growth in their communities. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

San Francisco, CA – Mayor Edwin M. Lee today celebrated the opening of The Mix at SFPL, a new 4,770-square-foot teen digital media center and learning lab located within the San Francisco Main Library, providing 21st Century technology and teaching. The Mix at SFPL offers teens a state-of-the-art recording studio, a Hollywood-worthy video production space, a bank of high-end digital equipment, and a makerspace with many of today’s leading fabrication technologies. In addition, The Mix will have a brand new collection of books, movies and music, an amphitheater-style seating and performance area, and a safe and comfortable space for Bay Area teens to hang out, read and study.

“Teenagers in San Francisco now have another safe, comfortable, and engaging space where they will have access to the latest technologies that can open their minds and unleash their creativity,” said Mayor Lee. “The Mix at SFPL provides San Francisco youth with digital literacy skills that will open up new career paths in multimedia fields and make sure they are well-prepared for college and beyond.”

“The Mix at SFPL is a revolutionary approach to teen services,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera. “San Francisco Public Library embraces the challenge of the 21st Century library by providing equal access and learning opportunities to all patrons, including our city’s teens, in ways that are engaging and entertaining while expanding their horizons.”

The $6 million capital improvement project was managed by San Francisco Public Works with design advice from Bay Area teens who served on the San Francisco Public Library’s Board of Advising Youth (BAY). While teens are more than welcome to simply hang out, The Mix is SFPL is designed so that youth will explore the different technologies in the space, either by attending a workshop or program, or during open “drop in” hours. Regular school classroom visits are being scheduled with SFUSD middle and high schools.

To help deliver quality workshops and classes to teens using the new technologies, the Library has formed partnerships with many leading San Francisco program providers, including the Bay Area Video Coalition, which excels at training at-risk youth in emerging media technologies; Blue Bear School of Music, leaders in providing music education to underserved communities; Ninth Street Independent Film Center which is transferring its youth media program, TILT (Teaching Intermedia Literacy Tools) and digital media equipment, curricula, and youth media archive to The Mix; Girls Who Code, which is on a mission to enhance diversity in technology; KQED, a partner in digital education; and the landmark California Academy of Sciences, a pioneer in providing hands-on science education to the Bay Area.

The Mix at SFPL was made possible by support from Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the Louis R. Lurie Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Morrison Foerster, and other generous donors.

· Deborah Doyle, Acting Executive Director, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: Ribbon Cutting; The new teen center and its state of the art design, including a smart wall, makerspace, recording studio; Danza Azteca dancers; Capoiera dancers; other musical entertainment.

WHAT: The Mix at SFPL will have a brand new collection of young adult books, a mini-performance space, and many comfy spaces for Bay Area teens to hang out, read and study. The Mix at SFPL will have a state of the art recording studio, a Hollywood-worthy video production space, a bank of high end computers to aid in the editing process, and a makerspace with many of today’s leading fabrication technologies. To help deliver quality classes to teens using the new technologies, the library has formed partnerships with many leading San Francisco program providers, including the Bay Area Video Coalition, Blue Bear School of Music, Girls Who Code, and the California Academy of Sciences.

David Talbot’s Season of the Witch Selected as
11th Annual One City One Book

San Francisco Public Library is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual One City One Book selection is David Talbot’s Season of the Witch, an extraordinary telling of the colorful and often dark history of San Francisco from 1967 to 1982.

Library bookshelves will be stocked with fresh copies of Season of the Witch in September – or, read it over the summer and be ready for all the fun events happening this fall! Citywide programming will take place throughout September and October.

Mr. Talbot will be making multiple appearances in the fall, including readings, discussion panels, school visits and more. In addition, there will be tours, book discussions and other presentations, with our program partners. Please watch the complete program schedule, available in September.

From the early days of the Summer of Love in the Haight, through years of murder and mayhem, the city evolved. Through extensive research and personal interviews, Talbot captures a 15-year history never before told in this level of detail. The stories lend themselves to opportunities to revisit this history through exhibits, music, politics and more.

One City One Book: San Francisco Reads is an annual citywide literary event that encourages members of the San Francisco community to read the same book at the same time and then discuss it in book groups and at events throughout the City. By building bridges between communities and generations through the reading and, most importantly, the discussion of one book, we hope to help to make reading a lifelong pursuit and to build a more literate society.

Sponsors for One City One Book include the San Francisco Public Library and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. The program is also supported by many bookstore partners, program partners and media sponsors, including Green Apple Books, Green Arcade Books, Books Inc., California Historical Society, Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, San Francisco History Center and more.

For updates and more information, please visit: sfpl.org/onecityonebook or Twitter @OneCityOneBook and #ocobsf15 or call (415) 557-4277.

About the Author
David Talbot is an author, journalist, media entrepreneur and now book publisher. He is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Salon, and has been hailed as a “pioneer of web publishing” by The New York Times. In addition to the national bestseller, Season of the Witch, he is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years and Devil Dog: The Amazing True Story of the Man Who Saved America, an illustrated “pulp history” aimed at younger readers. His book, The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secret Government, will be published by HarperCollins in October. Talbot was a senior editor at Mother Jones magazine, and has written for The New Yorker,Rolling Stone, Time, the Guardian and other publications. This fall, he will launch a new venture with Skyhorse Publishing, an imprint called Hot Books that will publish short, investigative books on the most burning topics.

The San Francisco Public Library’s annual summer learning program, open to readers and makers of all ages, kicks off on May 30th and runs through August 9th. With the offer of weekly prizes, activities and a custom designed tote bag people are sure to race to sign up, and luckily signing up for Summer Stride 2015 has never been easier. Simply go to any one of the 28 libraries, roaming bookmobiles, or online at our site, www.sfpl.org/summerstride for more information.

Summer Stride 2015 will Tip Off with a joint event between the Golden State Warriors and the Library’s Ortega Branch. Warriors Community Ambassador Adonal Foyle will visit the Ortega Branch on Friday May 29, 2015 at 2pm to read from his children’s book, Too-Tall Foyle Finds His Game, sign autographs and encourage the kids to join the Summer Stride program.

All reading counts toward the children’s goal of 10 hours of reading, thereby winning them a custom Summer Stride 2015 tote bag. Adults and teens with 15 hours of reading will also win a tote bag. In addition all participants can enter a weekly raffle that can win prizes such as museum passes, gift cards and much more.

All participants can track their reading time using the Summer Stride Program and Tracking Guide, available at all branches and online at www.sfpl.org/summerstride. The program guide will offer up information on the more than 350 free programs available for people to read, make and learn throughout the summer. Everything from dancing, singing, science projects, makerspaces and book groups will have programming available to participate in throughout San Francisco.

This year’s Summer Stride tracking guide allows for readers to track their progress through stickers and badges. For a second year, the Library partnered with Chronicle Books to create the Summer Stride artwork by award winning children’s author Benjamin Chaud inspired by his latest book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School…

The Library will also have the Free Summer Lunch program available at certain locations: the Main Library’s 2nd floor children’s center, Bayview, Ocean View, Excelsior and Visitacion Valley branches.

Summer Stride is a collaboration between the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco Unified School District.

Starting May 9th the San Francisco Public Library’s Deaf Services Center will be expanding its level of service to the deaf community. The Center will now increase its hours of operation at the Main Library to 60 hours per week, an increase of 21 hours, keeping it on par with the regular schedule that the Main Library operates under.

Previously, the Deaf Services Center was closed on Sundays and Mondays, so increasing its hours to match the regular operating hours of the Main Library was a priority of San Francisco Public Library system.

“Allowing our patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing to have on par access with all other library users is vital in keeping with our Library mission,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera.

The Library’s Deaf Services Center, located on the First Floor of the Main Library, was designed, constructed and furnished to facilitate effective communication for individuals using sign language or speech reading. The Center’s collection includes books, magazines, video materials and other items about American Sign Language, sign language study, deafness, Deaf history and culture. Patrons also have access to a videophone booth along with laptop computers with access to video relay services.

“It’s very exciting that the unique collection the Deaf Services Center holds will now be available to all patrons, every day of the week” said Marti Goddard, Access Services Manager for The Library.

Over the past year, as part of a system wide expansion of hours, the Main Library was also able to increase hours at the Daniel E. Koshland San Francisco History Center, which is now also open 60 hours per week. The History Center contains a research collection of books, newspapers and magazines, photographs, maps, posters, archives and manuscript collections, and ephemera, documenting all aspects of San Francisco life and history. The Center is also the archives for the City and County of San Francisco.

For more information about the Deaf Services Center visit its website, or view the San Francisco Public Library’s page at www.sfpl.org.

Exhibition Opening: California’s Wild Edge The Coast in Prints, Poetry and History

Renowned Woodcut artist Tom Killion will have his prints showcased at the Main Library’s Jewett Gallery from May 9 through July 5, 2015. This striking exhibit captures the beauty of the California coast from Mendocino, Point Reyes, and the San Francisco Bay down through Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, and Santa Monica. The Main Library is located at 100 Larkin Street in San Francisco.

Tom Killion’s prints combine exquisite color with dynamic composition to portray the coast’s ever-changing moods and diverse formations: storm tides crashing at Point Lobos, serene moonlit coves at Mendocino, and fog encircling the Golden Gate Bridge. Deepening the experience of the exhibit is accompanying poetry and prose from Gary Snyder, Robinson Jeffers, Robert Hass, Jane Hirshfield, Jaime de Angulo and other California poets.

The exhibition is co-sponsored by Exhibit Envoy, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and supported by Heyday publishing. Tom Killion’s new book of the same name, California’s Wild Edge: The Coast in Prints, Poetry and History, will be published by Heyday in July.

The opening program for the exhibit will take place on Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. in the Main Library’s Koret Auditorium. The program will feature Artist Tom Killion in discussion with poet Gary Snyder.

A related program named California’s Wild Edge Poets will take place on Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mail Library’s Koret Auditorium. In attendance will be Poets Gary Young, Jane Vengua and Michael Hannon with Tom Killion.

As part of National Library Week, San Francisco Public Library is proud to announce the unveiling of its newest service innovation for the people of San Francisco, Spoke & Word, a pedal-powered library. The book bike is a combination electric pedal assist bicycle and trailer that will bring the resources of the San Francisco Public Library to the people.

“The Book Bike will be a great tool to connect the citizens of San Francisco to their Public Library, wherever they may be” said City Librarian Luis Herrera.

Thanks to a grant from Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the Library has collaborated with the Burgeon Group to design, build and fabricate the custom book trailer.

“As a design firm that only creates for public libraries, we are constantly excited about the myriad of new services libraries continue to roll out” said Kim Van der Veen, of the Burgeon Group.

The electric pedal assisted bicycle comes from The New Wheel of San Francisco. The book bike was uniquely designed to navigate the hills, wind and topography of San Francisco while doing it in style.

“It’s exciting to see that so much can be done with creativity, ingenuity and a beautifully designed electric bicycle” said Karen Wiener, co-owner of The New Wheel.

The bike is fully equipped with Library resources: books, eMaterials, library cards, a Mifi hotspot and a bubble machine. The name, Spoke & Word, resulted from a community-driven naming contest.

The book bike will be seen throughout the City, anywhere people are congregating. Farmers markets, festivals, Giants games, the Pride Parade, Sunday Streets and others will all be on the to-go list for this new community resource.

San Francisco Public Library is also partnering with local groups like the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Bay Area Bike Mobile, Vie Bikes and local bike shops to enhance the offering of cycling related programming throughout the City.

Spoke & Word will make its first public appearance at Dia de los Niños, Dia de los Libros, a free Children’s Day literacy event on Sunday, April 19th from 1-4pm at Parque Niños Unidos, 23rd Street and Folsom. Activities will include dancing, book giveaways, multicultural music and much more.

Poetry will resound throughout the month of April with special programs at the San Francisco Public Library. National Poetry Month, held every April, is one of the largest literary celebrations in the world. From poetic voices of the Muslim world, teen poetry winners, and National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson, there is plenty to choose from at the San Francisco Public Library!

April 7 – Persis Karim
Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room
6:30 p.m.
Poet and scholar Persis Karim will discuss poetry and poetic translation, and the emergence of Iranian-American literature.

April 8 – Dr. Sylviane Diouf
Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room
6:30 p.m.
Islam and the Blues with Dr. Sylviane Diouf continues the discussion of poetic voices from the Muslim world.

April 9 – Jacqueline Woodson
Main Library, Koret Auditorium
6 p.m.
Join us for an author talk with Jacqueline Woodson, the 2014 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature. In her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, Ms. Woodson shares in vivid poems what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow, and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world.

April 14 – Joanne Kyger and Bill Berkson
Main Library, Koret Auditorium
6:30 p.m.Joanne Kyger’s latest work, On Time, is her first full length collection of poetry in nearly a decade. Expect Delays, Bill Berkson’s latest book, is wide ranging and experimental. Co-sponsored by City Lights Publishing. Book sales by Readers Books.

April 18 – We Are All Poets
Main Library, Koret Auditorium
2 p.m.
Grand finale for We Are All Poets, a youth literary and civic engagement program that unites elementary, middle and high school students with public officials. Work was submitted on the theme of The Power of Peace.

For more information about these and other library programs, please call (415) 557-4277.